Leading Through Change: Maintaining the Momentum into the Common Core

1. Leading Through Change: Maintaining the Momentum into the Common Core Becky Wetzel Bridges to Educational Excellence (805)807-3145

2. Some things change…others stay the same Common core standards Smarter Balanced Assessment Learning Objectives Academic language Foundational skills Effective questioning Checking for Understanding Instructional Shifts Math Practices Engagement Accountability Guided/Independent Practice Performance tasks Project Based Learning

3. …in essence, leadership is about learning how to shape the future. Leadership exists when people are no longer victims of circumstances but participate in creating new circumstances. Peter Senge

4. Make the Change Happen

7. Framework for Coherence Public Education Leadership Project

9. Instructional Core • Instructional Core • Teachers’ knowledge and skill • Students’ engagement in their learning • Academically challenging content • How do you define your core? • How will you communicate the connections of Effective Direct Instruction to the Common Core?

10. Theory of Change • What is your theory of action? • Based on beliefs • Based on research • Based on data • Developing clarity of the relationship between what you do and the impact you expect

11. Strategy • Identify the specific actions that will be taken to strengthen and sustain the core • How will you increase teachers’ knowledge and skills • Professional development • Coaching • Assessments and data analysis • Specific actions to provide alignment between the district, schools and classrooms

12. Relationships with Stakeholders • Effective strategies are informed by views and priorities of significant groups • In your district, who are your significant stakeholders? • Board of Education • Unions • Parent groups • How will you communicate? Get their input?

13. Culture • Norms and behaviors of the organization • Does not change readily • Edicts and slogans don’t make happen • Public education values local control • Success comes with: • Collaboration • Clear and high expectations • Aligned accountability criteria

14. Structures and Systems • Do your structures support the core? • Is it clear who is responsible for accountability? • Does the organization support the implementation of the strategy? • Are your systems built around what is important?

15. Resources and Environment • Manage your resources to support the core and your strategy to support the core • Time • Money • Human resources • Understand the external factors that you have little or no control over • Need to manage the effects

16. Large Scale Change and Renewal • A small number of ambitious yet achievable goals publically stated • A positive stance with a focus on motivation • Multilevel engagement with strong leadership • Emphasis on capacity building with a focus on results • Keeping a focus on key strategies while also managing other interests and issues • Effective use of resources • Constant and growing transparency, including public and stakeholder communication and feedback Michal Fullan

17. “Competence goes beyond words. It’s the leader’s ability to say it, plan it, and do it in such a way that others know that you know how ----and know that they want to follow you.” John C. Maxwell

18. “All organizations (and systems) are designed, intentionally or unwittingly, to achieve precisely the results they get.” • R. Spencer Darling

19. Questions